During a top-seed March Madness cinematic event Friday evening, LSU forward Aneesah Morrow ran down the court, nearly in parallel with teammate Flau'jae Johnson, preparing to set up the Tigers' halfcourt offense.
NC State guard Aziaha James was waiting, picked up Johnson near the sideline and ran with her as she pushed the ball further into the court. Morrow broke free from her stride, set an unsuspecting ghost screen on James, and slipped out of it at the last second. James continued to follow Johnson and eventually, with help from Madison Hayes, surrounded the LSU guard.
Johnson immediately looked for help and found a wide-open Morrow waiting at the elbow. She pivoted and quickly flicked the ball in Morrow's direction, forcing Hayes to react. Hayes ran toward Morrow, hoping to stop what she inevitably knew was coming, but it was too late. Morrow drained a gorgeous, high-arching 3-point basket as a defeated Hayes zipped past her.
NC State senior Saniya Rivers, who was underneath the basket as the ball went through the net, could only hold up her arms in frustration as Morrow made her second three of the night.
It was a small moment ― a barely-there wrinkle ― in the grand scheme of Morrow's phenomenal March Madness standout performance. However, it was a pivotal moment for the WNBA draft hopeful.Morrow, typically known for her paint prowess, had possibly shown league general managers something they hadn't noticed before: a confident perimeter shooter. The LSU forward has only taken 36 shots from beyond the arc this season, making 10. However, her pair of 3-pointers against the Wolfpack during the Sweet 16 felt immensely different. Morrow shot them like she couldn't miss; it felt that way Friday night.
"Morrow, she's killing us," an exasperated Wes Moore said during a mid-game interview. "She's willing them by herself."
"Willing them" was putting it lightly. Morrow was flat-out dominant.
She'd unlocked the essence of her fitting on-court nickname: "Nees the Beast." By the time the fourth quarter arrived, the 6-foot-1 forward already had 24 points and 12 rebounds, including 11 points and five boards in the third alone. Her incredible performance caught the eye of former teammate and current Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese.
"Me [and] Nees gon' be killing each other for rebounds in the [WNBA]," Reese tweeted.
The thought of Reese and Morrow jockeying for position to grab rebounds against some of the league's elite post players could be a tangible reality when the season starts ...
